WHAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW
Being overweight harms more than your appearance. It
dramatically increases your chances of developing heart
disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other health
problems. Overweight people are at least twice as likely to
have high blood pressure, and three times as likely to develop
diabetes. A middle-aged man who's 20 percent heavier than his
ideal weight is two-and-a-half times more likely to die from
heart disease than a man with his weight under control.
The cause of overweight is simple: If you take in more
calories than you burn up through exercise, the excess gets
stored as fat. The solution is equally plain: If you eat less
and exercise more, your weight will
decrease.
WHAT YOU SHOULD
DO
Your doctor can design a diet that meets your own special
needs. But whatever your diet, the following principles
apply.
-
Be sure to eat foods from all
6 food groups on a daily basis:
-
-
Breads and
Grains
-
Milk and
Dairy
-
Fruits
-
Protein (Meat or Fish or
Poultry)
-
Vegetables
-
Fats
-
Aim for gradual weight loss.
You should not lose more than 1 to 2 pounds a week; and
there may be weeks when you lose nothing at all. Weigh
yourself weekly. Don't worry about small daily changes in
your weight.
-
Do not try a crash or fad
diet that limits your intake to fewer than 1200 calories a
day. Some such diets can damage your health; and you're
more likely to suffer a rebound weight gain at the end of
the diet.
-
Fill up on high fiber and
starchy foods such as breads, pasta, potatoes, cooked dried
beans, and whole grain products.
-
Eat 5 or more fruits and
vegetables each day (but limit your intake of high-calorie
fruit juices). Steam vegetables or eat them raw. Don't put
sauces or a lot of margarine on cooked vegetables. Snack on
vegetables rather than on high-fat or high-calorie
foods.
-
Bake, roast, or broil your
food instead of frying. Remove all fat from meats and all
skin from poultry before cooking.
-
Do not eat more than 4 eggs a
week.
-
Switch to low-fat and
fat-free dairy products, salad dressings, and
cheeses.
-
Stay away from candy,
cookies, pastries, and other foods high in
sugar.
-
Avoid high-fat snacks such as
nuts, chips, and chocolate.
-
Drink 6 to 8 large glasses of
water each day.
-
Limit alcohol. Alcoholic
beverages have many calories and little food
value.
-
Don't skip meals. You'll be
tempted to overeat later on.
-
Make mealtime relaxing and
enjoyable. Sit down and eat slowly.
-
Find a weight loss "buddy,"
club, or support group. This will make it easier to stick
with your program.
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